NBA's Unpolished and Raw: The All-Potential Team

Every NBA season, there are a handful of players I like to keep my eye on as they attempt to fulfill their "potential."

This is a label that is thrust upon players with extraordinary physical abilities, but it is often a synonym for "bust."

Yet, year after year, teams use their top draft picks on players who they feel might be the next Gilbert Arenas or Manu Ginobli.

With that in mind, I have decided to share with you my list of five players to watch this season, as they strive to avoid the "bust" label.

PG Javaris Crittenton (Washington Wizards)

Strengths:

Since being drafted by the Lakers in 2007, Crittenton has been an intriguing prospect with a huge upside.

At 6'5'', he is huge for a point guard, has impressive athleticism, and he loves to push the tempo of the game.

He is a good defender and his size makes him an excellent rebounder.

Weaknesses:

Crittenton's most glaring weakness has always been his inability to shoot the ball with any consistency.

Defenders completely ignore him as a scoring threat, making him extremely one dimensional. He also tends to dribble himself into bad positions and he can be very sloppy at times.

Outlook:

Behind Gilbert Arenas, Mike James, and Randy Foye on the depth chart, Crittenton's playing time could be extremely limited this season. This is unfortunate because that is exactly what he needs to develop.

Also, as a third-year player, he is no longer eligible to be sent down to the developmental league, and his recent foot injury has further slowed his progress.

The Wizards just declined to pick up the point guard's fourth-year option, which will make him a free agent in the summer.

If he can find his way into the right system, develop the threat of a jump shot, and learn to play under control, I still believe Crittenton can be an explosive player in this league.

He is only 21 years old and has plenty of room to grow.

SG Jermaine Taylor (Houston Rockets)

Strengths:

Taylor is a very good athlete and flat out knows how to score. He was the third leading scorer in the nation last year at UCF, a fact unknown to many.

He has an NBA body, the strength to finish at the rim, and a good outside shot.

He also possesses the quickness and wingspan to become a plus-defender at this level.

Weaknesses:

His most obvious weakness is his lack of experience against high level competition.

He is extremely raw, and he tends to force the action, which leads to turnovers. He is much better coming off a screen as a spot up shooter.

He is only average defensively, but has all the physical tools and work ethic to improve.

Outlook:

Taylor will likely not see much playing time this season behind Ariza and McGrady, and might even see some stints in the D-League to speed up his development.

I would expect him to be more of a factor next season.

Look for this kid to be a 15-point scorer within two years. He was one of the steals of this year's draft.

SF Jonas Jerebko (Detroit Pistons)

Strengths:

Jerebko is of a different mold than most European players. He is more of the athletic slasher type with only an average jump shot.

His athleticism, however, allows him to defend on the perimeter and in the post equally well. He is sort of one of those "in-between" position players, but is well-rounded enough to excel in many different aspects of the game.

Weaknesses:

Jerebko is not a great shooter and he is not flashy.

His defense is by far his greatest asset and his offensive prowess has been labeled as a liability.

Outlook:

Jerebko is quickly moving up the Pistons' depth chart and becoming one of Joe D's favorite players.

When they drafted him, my immediate thought was that he would spend at least part of this year in the D-League, gaining some valuable experience.

Now, it is looking like he might get that experience on an NBA floor instead.

He reminds me of a Matt Harpring-type of player, and I expect to see him play a prominent role on this team for the next few years.

PF Donte Greene (Sacramento Kings)

Strengths:

Donte Greene came out of Syracuse as a player oozing with NBA potential.

He is 6'10" with a sturdy frame, terrific athleticism, and great coordination for someone his size. He is long and versatile with tremendous perimeter skills.

He is a shot maker who can convert on almost inconceivably off-balanced shots.

Inevitably, he proves to be a difficult matchup for the slower power forwards that cover him.

Weaknesses:

Greene settles for the long ball WAY too much instead of using his big body to get to the rim.

He has an insatiable appetite to take long jumpers, but hasn't demonstrated a consistent ability to make those shots.

Outlook:

On a bad team, Greene has a shot at seeing some playing time this season.

To avoid being sent to the D-League, he will need to prove that his terrible season last year was just an aberration.

I see so much potential in this guy.

That is why it is so frustrating that he settles for low-percentage shots when he could beat just about anyone off the dribble.

If he can begin to find that balance, I can see Greene developing into a fearsome NBA player.

C Alexis Ajinca (Charlotte Bobcats)

Strengths:

Ajinca is a physical phenomenon. Take one look at him and it is obvious why the Bobcats felt so strongly about taking him with their first-round pick.

Ajinca is 7'1" with an incredible wingspan that, combined with his ability to run the floor, has people drooling over him as a defensive prospect.

He has a decent outside shot and is a good free throw shooter, which is useful if he can learn to use his body to draw more fouls.

Weaknesses:

So far, Ajinca hasn't demonstrated much ability to be a consistent player on this level, even after spending some time down in the D-League last year.

He is very skinny and needs to add about 20-30 pounds of muscle to his frame in order to become a presence in the paint.

He is too weak now and gets bullied down low despite usually being the biggest player on the court.

Outlook:

Ajinca's potential lies mostly in his sheer size and wingspan.

If he can even slightly develop his basketball skills and put some muscle on his frame, this guy has the potential to be special.

He has good athleticism for his size and he would be a mismatch for nearly everyone guarding him.

Look for him to get more playing time this year in the later stages of the season.

I really hope this guy can live up to his potential because he is an exciting prospect, and like they always say, "You can't teach size."